If you are an anime fan and wondering what anime will be on HBO Max, then you can get a whole bunch of the best Anime on HBO Max to stream to your heart’s content. From cult-favorite movies like Spirited Away to comedy movie Ponyo, you can get your favorite anime content on HBO Max.
But HBO Max may be only available in the US right now, but you can stream HBO Max content anywhere through a reliable HBO Max VPN. HBO Max is a slightly different streaming service which mostly streams original shows and movies like The Flight Attendant and Big Little Lies. You can also check out best anime on Funimation.
But now, HBO Max has acquired a set of animes to improve and diversify its library with a new set of genres for its viewers and also to compete with other streaming services.
19 Best Anime on HBO Max to Stream
Let’s get into the game without waiting further and start listing down the best anime on HBO Max for you to stream:
Weathering with You (2019)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Director/Writer: Makoto Shinkai
Cast: Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda
Original Title: Tenki no ko
Runtime: 1h 52m
Hodaka Morishima, a high school student, flees from his troublesome rural home to Tokyo during a particularly wet period, where he encounters an orphan girl who has the ability to control the weather. It is one of the outstanding anime movies on HBO Max.
Promare 2019
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
Writers: Kazuki Nakashima, Michael Schneider
Cast: John Eric Bentley, Steve Blum, Johnny Yong Bosch
Original Title: Puromea
Runtime: 1h 51m
Thirty years have passed since the emergence of Burnish, a race of fire-wielding mutant creatures that used fire to destroy half of the Earth. A conflict begins as a fresh set of violent mutants arrives. You can easily watch this amazing action movie on HBO Max anime.
Earwig and the Witch (2020)
Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure
IMDb Rating: 4.8/10
Director: Gorô Miyazaki
Writers: Diana Wynne Jones, Keiko Niwa, Emi Gunji
Cast: Jazmín Abuín, JB Blanc, Tom Bromhead
Original Title: ya to majo
Runtime: 1h 22m
Earwig And The Witch portrays the story of an orphan child abandoned by her witch mother at an English orphanage. Her mother sets out on a mission to kill the 12 witches that are pursuing her.
She names her infant Earwig before departing. While living with a greedy witch, Earwig finds a world of spells and potions.
Ponyo (2008)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki, Melissa Mathison
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson
Original Title: Gake no ue no Ponyo
Runtime: 1h 41m
A goldfish princess meets a human boy called Sosuke while on a prohibited trip to the surface world, who names her Ponyo. Ponyo aspires to be human, and as her bond with Sosuke deepens, so does she.
Ponyo’s father returns her to their underwater realm, but her desire to live on the surface is so great that she breaks free, spilling a collection of mystical elixirs that endangers Sosuke’s town. It is a must-watch HBO Max anime.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen
Original Title: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari
Runtime: 2h 17m
A little nymph discovered within a bamboo stalk develops into a lovely and attractive young woman who challenges her suitors to complete a series of near-impossible feats to show their love. It is said to be one of the good anime on HBO Max.
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Adventure
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Director:Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Writers: Mary Norton, Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa
Cast: Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Mirai Shida
Original Title: Karigurashi no Arietty
Runtime: 1h 34m
Unknown to the owners and staff, Arrietty, a little girl, lives with her parents in a basement apartment in a suburban house. Like other members of her species, Arrietty hides from her human hosts but periodically emerges from beneath the floorboards to steal necessities like sugar cubes.
When 12 years boy Shawn meets Arrietty, they develop a secret connection, but their relationship may be dangerous for Arrietty’s family.
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Comedy
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Director: Gorô Miyazaki
Writers: Tetsurô Sayama, Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa
Cast: Sarah Bolger, Chris Noth, Anton Yelchin
Original Title: Kokuriko-zaka kara
Runtime: 1h 31m
Umi is a young student who handles her family’s lodging home and lives with her grandma and siblings while their mother is gone to America.
Shun is an intriguing young sailor who controls the school paper and drags Umi into a struggle to defend the students’ clubhouse from destruction. As they develop affection for each other, secrets emerge, and they are forced to confront their families’ pasts.
The Cat Returns (2002)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Writers: Aoi Hiiragi, Reiko Yoshida, Cindy Davis
Cast: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda
Original Title: Neko no ongaeshi
Runtime: 1h 15m
When Haru, a high school student, saves a cat from being driven over by a vehicle, she learns that the cat is actually a prince by the name of Lune. The Cat King, Lune’s father, thanks her and proposes marriage to Lune.
Haru is taken to the Cat Kingdom, where she begins to resemble a cat. When she is barred from leaving, two sculptures that have been given life by magic, the Baron and Toto, help her escape.
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Director: Yoshifumi Kondô
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki, Aoi Hiiragi, Cindy Davis
Cast: Yoko Honna, Issey Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana
Original Title: Mimi wo sumaseba
Runtime: 1h 51m
This HBO Max anime movie, which is based on the manga of the same name, follows Shizuku, a curious youngster and avid reader who aspires to be a writer when she grows up. She discovers one day that Seiji Amasawa has already checked out all of her library books.
Shizuku searches for this enigmatic boy who could be her soul mate while also pursuing a huge cat, making friends with an eccentric antique dealer, and penning her first book.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Eiko Kadono, Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma
Original Title: Majo no takkyûbin
Runtime: 1h 43m
According to the custom of her tribe for witches in training, 13-year-old Kiki and her talking cat, Jiji, relocate to a coastal town where they will spend a year alone.
After becoming proficient with her broomstick, Kiki establishes a flying delivery business and quickly establishes herself as a pillar of the neighborhood. But when the shy young witch starts doubting herself and loses her magic, she has to fight her insecurities to regain her magic.
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Hisaichi Ishii, Isao Takahata, Leo Chu
Cast: Yukiji Asaoka, Tôru Masuoka, Masako Araki
Original Title: Hôhokekyo tonari no Yamada-kun
Runtime: 1h 44m
Typical Japanese family, the Yamadas. Grandma Shige always makes the day better with her proverbs, and daughter Nanoko enjoys getting lost in a mall. Father Takashi and his wife Matsuke fight over a TV remote control.
If you want to watch a comedy family movie, then it is a perfect movie to stream. It is one of the best anime on HBO Max.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Director:Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki, Jonathan Swift
Cast: Mayumi Tanaka, Keiko Yokozawa, Kotoe Hatsui
Original Title: Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta
Runtime: 2h 5m
A group of air pirates commanded by the matronly Dola assault the plane carrying the young orphan Sheeta and her abductor, Col. Muska, as they are on their way to a military jail. Sheeta finds fellow orphan Pazu after using a magical crystal around her neck to avoid a midair collision.
The two work together to explore the mysterious floating city of Laputa while being followed by both Muska and pirates who are after the city’s wealth of riches.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazak, Cindy Davis, Donald H. Hewitt
Cast: Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyôda
Original Title: Kaze no tani no Naushika
Runtime: 1h 57m
In the distant future, after an apocalypse has mostly destroyed the ecosystem of the globe, the few remaining humans dwell in isolated, semi-hospitable areas amid what has turned into a “toxic jungle.”
Young Nausicaä is able to converse with the enormous insects that live in the perilous forest and live in the dry Valley of the Wind. Nausicaä attempts to restore peace to the devastated world under the direction of the reflective veteran warrior, Lord Yupa.
Fantastic Planet (1973)
Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Director: René Laloux
Writers: Stefan Wul, Roland Topor, René Laloux
Cast: Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Drake, Eric Baugin
Original Title: La planète sauvage
Runtime: 1h 12m
This animated story explores the connection between the little Oms, who resemble humans, and their oppressors, the much bigger, blue-skinned Draags, who dominate the planet Ygam. The Draags have long kept Oms as uneducated pets.
But as an Om boy receives an education, thanks to a young female Draag, this hierarchy changes. As a result, the Om revolt occurs, undermining Draag’s authority over their people. Will the Draags and the Oms manage to live in harmony? Or will they obliterate one another?
Berserk (1997)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
IMDb Rating 8.7/10
Creators Kentaro Miura, Kentaro Miura
Cast: Nobutoshi Canna, Marc Diraison, Carrie Keranen
Original Title: Kenpû Denki Berserk
No. of seasons: 2
Based on Kentaro Miura’s manga with the same name, Berserk is the story about Guts, a talented swordsman who was brought up by mercenaries. But a sudden mishap causes him to flee and, years later, join a group of fighters who reach the top after winning a 100-year-old battle.
Spirited Away (2001)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
IMDb Rating 8.6/10
Director/Writer Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino
Original Title: Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Runtime: 2h 5m
One of the most popular anime on HBO Max, Spirited Away, is a cult-favorite of all time. After Chihiro and her parents get trapped in a supernatural resort, she must try hard to work in that resort of the supernatural in order to free her parents.
Her parents have turned into fat pigs and will be slaughtered at any moment. Undoubtedly, it is one of the outstanding anime movies on HBO Max.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Adventure
IMDb Rating 8.4/10
Director Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki, Neil Gaiman
Cast: Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka
Original Title: Mononoke-hime
Runtime: 2h 14m
The long-enjoyed companionship and friendship between humans, animals, and the gods are at stake. Ashitaka vows to bring peace between Moro, the wolf god, and his human companion, Princess Mononoke. You can easily watch this adventurous anime movie on HBO Max.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy
IMDb Rating 8.1/10
Director/Writer Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto
Original Title: Tonari no Totoro
Runtime: 1h 26m
Miyazaki is back with his finest, with one of the best HBO Max animated movies revolving around 2 girls who move closer to home as their ailing mother is in the hospital. They come across numerous spirited creatures, including a bunny in the forest closer to their house.
Erased (2016)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
IMDb Rating 8.5/10
Director Tomohiko Itō
Cast: Ben Diskin, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Michelle Ruff
Original Title: Boku dake ga inai machi
No. of seasons: 1
Satoru can travel in time right before a deadly incident is about to take place to avoid the situation altogether. This time, he chooses to travel back 18 years to prevent his mother’s murder and come face to face with numerous realities. It is one of the good anime on HBO Max.
Wrapping Up
As anime continues to gain popularity throughout the globe, non-anime streaming services like HBO Max have increased their selection of Japanese anime. The streaming service offers an excellent selection of Japanese entertainment in addition to a wide selection of HBO Max movies and shows on HBO Max. In addition, we have also compiled a list of best anime horror movies that will leave you frightened and a list of the best japanese anime movies that will make you laugh.
We sincerely hope you enjoyed reading our guide to the best anime on HBO Max. As we add new titles each month, make sure to check back frequently. Enjoy!